1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved hydrocarbon vapor analyzer that monitors the vapor content of mixtures of hydrocarbon vapors and air. More particularly the analyzer is suitable for use together with a hydrocarbon vapor recovery unit so as to determine the efficiency of the vapor recovery at an installation such as a gasoline bulk terminal, oil refinery, oil barge-loading and unloading operations, and at gasoline stations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past hydrocarbon vapor analyzers were constructed largely for laboratory use. However these instruments, required the collection of the sample of the hydrocarbon vapor and air mixture to be analyzed at the site being monitored, transporting the sample to the laboratory, and then analysis of the collected sample.
Beyond the inconvenience of and possible variations in sample collection, the remoteness of the monitoring device to the site being monitored has been found by experience to dictate the extent to which such analyzing equipment can be employed.
In the more recent past, hydrocarbon vapor analyzers have been designed which were applicable to other than laboratory situations. However, these analyzers were so affected by ambient conditions that reliable results could not be obtained for example at a bulk gasoline terminal.
To overcome the shortcomings of the old designs and to provide an improved hydrocarbon analyzer which was relatively independent of sampling variations and ambient conditions, the rugged, economical analyzer of the present invention was developed.